×

NORMA M. WILLOUGHBY

ROCKWELL CITY –Norma M. Willoughby, 97, passed away Monday, June 24, 2019, at her home at Sunnyview Independent Living. Funeral Services will be 2:00 p.m. Monday, July 1, 2019, at the United Methodist Church, Rockwell City, with Pastor Anita Bane officiating. Burial will be at Rosehill Cemetery, Rockwell City. Visitation will be 12:30 p.m. Monday at the Church until service time. Palmer & Swank Funeral Home, Rockwell City is serving the family.

Norma is survived by her son Jim (Barbara) Willoughby of Knoxville; daughter Margaret Ann Bloomquist of Dayton; grandchildren, Lisa and Jason Sandholdt, Kathy and Brian Sandstrom, Paul and Kelli Bloomquist, and Joey (fiance Tori) Willoughby; great-grandchildren, Katelyn, Colby, Josiah, Grace, Jenai, Emelia, Noah, Blake, Landon, Julianna, and MeiLi; Niece Sue Rowntree Ne Filby; nephew Martin Hedstrom; and other relatives and a host of friends.

She was preceded in death by her husband Gerald; son-in-law Marlan Bloomquist; parents, James and Margaret Grace Dawson Filby; and brother Derek Filby.

Norma Margaret Filby Willoughby was born May 13, 1922, at London, England. She was educated in England and graduated from Kingston Tech College, Surrey, England with the Class of 1939. In 1939, she entered the British Civil Service. In 1942, Norma enlisted in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force during World War II, where she was a plotter in the control room of the Royal Air Force. On April 7, 1945, she was united in marriage to Gerald “Doc” F. Willoughby in London, England. In 1946, she emigrated to the United States and they made their home in Rockwell City. In 1948, Doc returned to active duty and the couple traveled to Virginia, Germany, California, and Libya until his retirement in 1964. They returned to Rockwell City where Norma was a homemaker and also a bookkeeper for Carver Motors. In 1975, they moved to Lake Panorama until returning to Rockwell City in 1990. They also wintered in Daytona Beach, Florida 39 years. Doc passed away in 2008, and Norma then made her home at Sunnyview Independent Living. She was a member of the United Methodist Church, Palmetto Club, Republican Women, Twin Lakes Golf Club, Order of Eastern Star, and Iowa Women’s Philatelic Society.